


Daniela's Eight Thoughts (on Children and Marriage)

by GamblingDementor



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Aromantic Asexual Character, Friendship, Gen, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-07-14 08:30:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7162469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamblingDementor/pseuds/GamblingDementor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eight times in her life Daniela thought about what it meant to her to be single (and why she loves it).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Daniela's Eight Thoughts (on Children and Marriage)

 

It’s a slow afternoon at the salon. Usually, Daniela uses these to get some paperwork done or to read the latest magazines she has lying around for the customers, but today is Thursday, which means she has to entertain her guest. Her charming, polite but demanding little guest.

 

“Another one, Dani!”

 

Nina is sitting in one of the salon chairs like a young queen, even though it’s far too big for her, and has her fingers spread out for Daniela to paint her nails (every time she comes, it’s a fun challenge for Daniela to make nail art that a six year old would like to show off to all her friends − today she’s painting clouds and rainbows). She has been coming to the salon more often these days. Daniela loves to believe it’s because she’s able to make her feel beautiful and taken care of as she strives for all her customers, but the truth is probably that she just wants her for the Spanish lessons. Daniela doesn’t really make her pay anyways.

 

“Okay, then… _Esquina_.”

 

“Corner.”

 

“ _Tienda_.”

 

“Store.”

 

“ _Bombilla_.”

 

“Lightbulb. Dani, you can’t just ask me stuff you’re seeing around you! You _know_ I know these!”

 

“Excuse me, _¿quien es la profesora?_ ”

 

Nina giggles − it almost makes Daniela mess up her nails, but she manages to salvage her hard work. Nina notices.

 

“Sorry. _Lo siento._ ”

 

“ _Bueno_ , let’s learn more.”

 

The Spanish lessons last as long as Nina is allowed to stay here, Abuela’s orders. That’s the rule. Daniela won’t let her sneak here without permission − that would make her risk Claudia’s wrath, and who wants that? Daniela would never dare being openly proud of it, of course, she is nothing if not a picture of modesty, but she is not unhappy with Nina’s progress since they started this arrangement (at Nina’s own request) a while ago. Nina is a smart kid, she learns fast.

 

“And when are you going to tell your parents you have been learning Spanish, young lady?”

 

“Not yet. _Paciencia y fe_.”

 

Daniela laughs out loud. Someone has been listening to Abuela.

 

“Well, I want to be there when you surprise them with it.”

 

“They _will_ be surprised, they always speak Spanish to each other when they don’t want me to understand.”

 

“Well, then you’ll have to tell me if they say anything juicy.”

 

It takes the Rosarios months to realize their daughter speaks Spanish now − more than Daniela’s fair share of gossip later. Daniela is fully convinced now that Nina is a blessing on this neighborhood.

 

* * *

 

She hears the screaming before either of the boys come into view. If this hadn’t happened before, Daniela would have called the NYPD for child endangerement, but by now, she’s almost used to Sonny violently resisting visits to the salon. Lucifer himself possesses that child sometimes. She suddenly regrets that she chose to give her employee this specific afternoon off. There is no one else to handle that wailing little demon.

 

“ _NO!!!_ I don’t wanna!”

 

At this point, the outcome is inevitable and Daniela opts for stepping out of the empty salon to have a bit of fun watching them before it all catches up to her. The two boys are intertwined like a weird hybrid monster, with one part trying everything it can to escape and the other doing its darndest to keep it all together. You would think that Usnavi would have a clear advantage on his cousin, with him being much older, but he’s also all dangly and skinny and Sonny is a ferocious four year old.

 

“You! Have! To! Get! Your! Hair! Cut!” Usnavi struggles to say, every word an effort.

 

“ _No!!!_ ”

 

Sonny has brought on the waterworks by now, the little tyke. He always tries to manipulate Usnavi. Once, a few months ago, it even worked and Usnavi apologized profusely and brought Sonny back home.

 

“Sonny, I swear I’ll tell Mom and she’ll whoop you if you’re bad like this!”

 

_Sounds like the tears won’t work today._

 

“Oy, did you just bite me?!” Usnavi squeaks. “You can’t bite me!”

 

“I hate you! I don’t wanna go!”

 

Eyes filled with hurt, Usnavi relaxes his grasp on his cousin ever so slightly, just a fraction second, but there he goes, little Sonny, dashing away, and all the efforts are to start again. Daniela is perfectly content enjoying that show just where she is, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, smirking. It takes Usnavi over twenty minutes to cross the whole hundred feet separating his house from the salon with Sonny in check.

 

It takes three times as long for her to give him a half-decent haircut.

 

By the end of the day, Daniela has seen enough to be persuaded that _some_ children are a nightmare.

 

* * *

 

Juan has been a regular customer of the salon pretty much since its beginnings. Every month, regular as a clock, he shows up on the first Wednesday of the month and asks for his hair cut “as always”. So every month, Daniela cuts his hair and enjoys the latest gossip from the piragua stand. Which is why she is a little surprised when he enters the salon only two weeks after his last visit.

 

“Hey there, are you lost?”

 

He gives her a grin and lifts up his hat for her, joining her by the counter.

 

“Not lost, no. I was wondering,” He gives her a dashing smile. “I was wondering if you would like to go to the club with me, maybe tonight?”

 

His hand gets dangerously close to Daniela’s on the surface of the counter and she politely moves hers back.

 

“That depends,” she says.

 

He still smiles, more nervously now.

 

“On what?”

 

“On whether you’re able to handle my dance moves,” she smirks and spins around to show these off.

 

They do go out and have an amazing time that night. Daniela _loves_ dancing and as it turns out, Juan is an excellent dance partner. All night, he makes her spin and shake and it’s almost dawn by the time she’s finally danced out.

 

“Great night, heh?” He says as he walks her home.

 

“You are a great dancer, Juanito,” she admits, then takes out her keys when they’ve reached her door. “This is me.”

 

“I’d been…” He catches her arm gently before she can open her door, “I’d been hoping we could do this again. Daniela, you’re…”

 

“I’m going home now, Juan,” she interrupts and gets her arm back. “ _Buenas noches_.”

 

It may be abrupt and awkward but Daniela is not about to lie to him about her intentions. She never has, with none of the guys who ever take her dancing. She never ever does anything to suggest she might want more than dancing − because she doesn’t. She’s entirely fine with spending all night at the hottest clubs, shake her body till the break of dawn, and go home to end the night just by herself.

 

The next day, Juan doesn’t even dare walk inside the salon, instead just stands outside the door sheepishly, and he is almost about to leave when Daniela takes pity on him and gives him a smile.

 

“ _Oy_ , come in, don’t just stand there!”

 

“Oh, Dani, hello…”

 

He isn’t much more comfortable once inside, on the contrary. He just shifts in place, looking anywhere but at her.

 

“Listen,” he says when she was beginning to think he’d just dash out. “I’m sorry about last night.”

 

“You can be,” she smirks. “My ankles are still sore. You are one hell of a dancer.”

 

“What? No, not that! I mean, I think I offended you… I’m sorry.”

 

She stares at him blankly before it clicks and she shakes her head. _Every time_.

 

“Look, you did nothing wrong. You asked me to dance, we went dancing, we had an amazing time.”

 

“But you…”

 

“But if you’re looking for someone to go home with you _after_ the dancing, then I’m not that person.”

 

“Are you… you know… Are you?”

 

His hands make a weird gesture that she isn’t sure she wants to understand.

 

“I am myself, Juanito, and I’m very satisfied with being just that on my own.”

 

He does ask her to dance again, after a while. And that time, and all the times afterwards, he doesn’t expect anything beyond the dancing. And Daniela finds that perfect as it is.

 

* * *

 

Daniela knows she probably shouldn’t treat her customers unequally, that it’s bad for business, but with Benny, she can’t help it. She has a soft spot for him and she’ll always make time for him when he steps inside the salon.

 

“Yo, can Carla do my hair today?” He asks with a grin bigger than his face.

 

Evidently Benny holds no similar affection for her.

 

“And what am I, a used chewing gum? Get your butt in this chair right now,” she orders.

 

Benny may be much taller than her already at his sixteen years of age but even a young man like him shrinks before her and she’s not about to let go of that power.

 

“You’re trying to mess with my groove, Dani,” he sighs when she starts washing his hair.

 

And that also is a reason why she likes him, though a minor one: she doesn’t get enough opportunities to braid coily hair such as his. It never hurts to get some practice. 

 

“Your groove?” She laughs. “Yes, look at all the ladies rushing at your feet.”

 

“You laugh now, Daniela,” he says with all the assurance she loves him for having, “And when Carla and I start dating, then you’ll stop laughing.”

 

Nevermind that Carla has worn a purity ring for longer than Daniela has known her. She highly doubts that they’ll get that girl dating before she’s thirty, much less with a teenager.

 

“Yes, _then_ I’ll stop laughing.”

 

Benny pouts, but very soon gets distracted again staring out of the window of the salon. Daniela is happy to simply take care of his hair, waiting for him to talk. She hopes he never asks to have it cut. The thing about Benny is that she doesn’t even need to coax the hot talk out of him − it comes to him naturally.

 

“What about Sofía?” He asks suddenly. “You heard anything about her?”

 

Daniela looks up and there she is, Sofía, walking down the street to catch her coffee from Usnavi’s bodega.

 

“Except that she’s dating Pablo and that he’s thinking about proposing soon…”

 

“Dang it! Why all the hot ones taken, Dani?”

 

“Yolanda’s single.”

 

“Dani, I can’t date Yolanda, she’s a total…”

 

“… totally lovely girl who deserves better than nasty talk, yes,” she cuts him. “It’s true, she’s a little bit out of your league.”

 

He snorts. A group of guys walk past the salon, uncommented on. Daniela rinses his hair, starts to blow it dry.

 

“And Isabela?” He asks. “She single?”

 

It’s Daniela’s turn to snort. Isabela is _definitely_ not single.

 

“She’s _very_ close to Juanita, if you catch my meaning.”

 

Benny’s mouth falls open.

 

“Wow, seriously? Hot!”

 

She whacks his head, just lightly with the tip of her fingers, she’s not here to cause him pain, but if there is one thing Daniela won’t stand for, it’s treating people less like people and more like _things_. She might be a gossip, but the people of her stories are always _people_.

 

“Ouch, what was that for?!”

 

“You need to stop thinking about all the girls, Benny,” she replies. “Have you got nothing better to do?”

 

“No?”

 

In the end, she doesn’t truly mind. Benny is great company even when he’s girl-obsessed. It might pass him eventually. She just tells herself that she’s lucky she’s not his mom, because keeping all that libido in check for the wellbeing of the neighborhood would be a responsability she’d never be able to assume.

 

* * *

 

“Here she is! The most beautiful customer of the salon!” Daniela cries out when the chimes mark Claudia’s entrance.

 

Abuela waves the compliment away with a laugh.

 

“You can say that all you want, Dani, that doesn’t make it true.”

 

“It is absolutely true,” Vanessa chimes in from her corner of the salon where she’s doing someone’s nails.

 

“It _is_ the truth, Abuela! No one sports these curls like you do.” Carla confirms.

 

“So what can we do for you today, Claudia?” Daniela asks. “Some new innovative make-up, huh? I think blue is your color.”

 

Claudia smiles as she takes the seat Daniela presents her, but shakes her head.

 

“You know I don’t do these young people things.”

 

“You _are_ young!” Carla says genuinely − sweet Carla always says and believes the sweetest things.

 

Daniela does give Abuela Claudia her bi-monthly trim and gives up on the special make-up or the colorful nail art because she is nothing if business-minded and if that’s what Claudia wants, then that’s what Claudia will get. What Daniela will get is all the news from the barrio, and that is vastly more interesting. Everyone passes by Claudia at least every day, most people chat with her for a few minutes: she would always have the best gossip if she was the kind to gossip.

 

“Did you know Usnavi has got a girlfriend?” She says fondly.

 

“ _¡No me diga!_ ” Daniela and Carla say in unison.

 

“Yes, I’m so proud of him. I’m sure he and Lucia will be very happy.”

 

She always does have such a proud smile on her face whenever she talks about Usnavi. It’s no secret in the neighborhood that Usnavi has lost his parents that fateful winter three years ago, but gained one in Abuela.

 

“Maybe you’ll see them married, heh?”

 

“Mmh. Let us hope.”

 

Daniela hums in agreement. It would do Usnavi some good to find love when he has so much of it to give.

 

“When are _you_ going to find a nice husband, Dani?” Claudia asks eventually.

 

“When are _you_?” Daniela answers.

 

Claudia laughs.

 

“ _Mija_ , I’m too old for this.”

 

“And were you too old when you were my age, maybe?”

 

It’s kind of a low blow. Daniela doesn’t know if Claudia ever _wanted_ a husband, if life just happened that way for her or if it was by design. She doesn’t like to assume, but she also doesn’t like people assuming what she needs or desires.

 

“I was working when I was your age,” Claudia replies, but she can’t be using that as a real argument when she is literally sitting in Daniela’s salon, the business she helped build.

 

“And what am I doing, _por favor_ , eating ice cream?”

 

“Mmh.”

 

She doesn’t seem to really get it, but Daniela has grown used to that, from her or from anyone. She doesn’t need people’s approval, and for the most part, she doesn’t care. She has her salon, her clients, her friends, and there is no need for more than that in her life. As long as she has hot coffee in the morning, as long as she gets all the hot gossip of the barrio during the day and as long as she dances her feet sore at night, she’ll be perfectly happy.

 

* * *

 

All the clients of the salon have some sort of habit in coming there. That is just what happens when your customer base has lived in the same place for years and years and when your salon is the only place they ever come to for the services you provide (except _some_ people but they’re dead to Daniela anyways). Some come here to chat and unwind, some don’t come nearly enough to know Daniela all that well and just want to relax quietly, and some come here to air their dirty laundry and fight.

 

“I TOLD you you’d strain your back, _papí_ , but did you listen to me?” Camila hisses at her husband who walks in right behind her, but when she turns to Daniela her tone is honey and sweets and she’s smiling. “Hello, Dani. The usual, please.”

 

She sits down in the chair by the window and waits for Daniela to get everything ready for her hair dye and manicure. Kevin follows her and sits next to her (his walking and sitting do look painful), purposely not looking at her, and Carla gets to work immediately.

 

“It was an accident and you know it, you’re making this into a bigger deal than it is.”

 

For as long as Daniela can remember, this has been going on. The Rosarios come to the salon to fight, every time. But they also come on a regular schedule, every month. She doesn’t know if they’re just fighting so much in their lives that an argument is bound to be happening when they’re at the salon as well, or if they put these off till they come. In any case, it is thrilling, if a bit embarrassing to witness sometimes. Daniela starts with Camila’s nails and hopes she doesn’t move around too much − she tends to wave arms a lot in anger.

 

“So it’s not a big deal that your back is useless now? Is this what you want for our daughter?” Then, her voice turns soft again. “Oh, Dani, this looks lovely.”

 

“Do not bring Nina into this, I was doing this _for her_.”

 

“ _Carajo_ , that is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” and there it is, the arm waving, the shrugging, and Daniela takes a step back to let her vent it all out before starting again.

 

They keep at it long after Carla is done with Kevin’s hair, and it’s not just about the strained back anymore, no. Everything in their lives gets singled out and treated as a major offense, from the way Kevin knots his ties to how much salt Camila puts in the _sofrito_ , Nina gets mentioned more than a couple times, as does Kevin’s father as a rhetorical argument, and there are moments when Daniela is forced to rush to her feet to put her hands on Carla’s ears because she will not let pure innocent Carla hear these things.

 

And when Camila’s hair is all done and her nails are perfect, the argument is over, and they walk out arm in arm, thanking Daniela for everything and having given her gossip material to go through the next week at least. _Married couples are a strange breed indeed._  


 

* * *

 

“ _Buenos días_ , everyone!”

 

Daniela smirks as soon as she sees Usnavi crossing the door of the salon, making her chimes sing. He immediately starts scanning the room with a dumb smile plastered all over his face  − he really is too obvious. Tough for him, Daniela is the only one who isn’t taking care of a customer already. She beckons him to her chair.

 

“With you? Oh, erm, okay…”

 

“Disappointed?”

 

“What, no! Not at all! I just want a haircut!”

 

Usnavi scratches the back of his head and sits down, letting her wrap the cape around him even though she’s pretty much certain he has no real need of a new haircut. He’s been coming to the salon every few days for weeks now. Maybe he’s become persuaded in his own mind that he needs it. Daniela is persuaded in her own mind that it has nothing to do with hair and everything to do with a certain new part-time employee of hers. It can’t be coincidence that he never comes when it’s just her and Carla.

 

“ _Bueno_ , let’s do it then.”

 

He sits down and she has to pretend to find any work to be done with his perfectly cut hair − Vanessa cut it four days ago and she is a very good worker. Still, she tries to make it last − not that he makes it any harder by gesticulating like a little boy, constantly looking back to where Vanessa is working. How is she supposed to pretend to work if his head can’t stay still?

 

“ _¡Oy! Tranquilo._ ” She jabs her finger into his shoulder.

 

He shrinks into his chair like he was just caught stealing from the cookie jar.

 

“I’m not doing anything!” He yelps.

 

“You’d better not be,” she says, combing his already too short hair.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Vanessa is too young,” she replies firmly. “You’re too old. When are you going to stop dreaming this, Usnavi?”

 

He snorts breathlessly.

 

“It’s the first time someone tells me I’m too old for something! And too old for what? Serving her coffee? Daniela, you _know_ me, I’m not…”

 

He turns around one more time, almost unvoluntarily, but Daniela takes his head between her hands and directs it back to the mirror in front of him.

 

“ _Mira_ , Vanessa is my employee, _entiendes_? And my _friend_. Do you want to take risks with that?”

 

He visibly gulps and suddenly has no desire to stare at Vanessa anymore. His gaze is resolutely on his hands that he is twisting nervously.

 

“She’s busy,” Daniela explains. “She’s busy and she’s seventeen, it might be _cute_ that you have a crush, but have you no shame at all?”

 

“I’m sorry, Daniela,” he eventually mutters.

 

“It’s okay, I forgive you,” she smirks, not that he’ll see it with his eyes still down. “But no messing around with Vanessa till I say so, okay?”

 

He nods and for a floating second she sees Usnavi back as a little boy when she used to terrify him. It’s good to know she can keep that up even now. Some kids just stay kids for a really long time.

 

* * *

 

Something is up this morning. Daniela noticed it immediately, but since Vanessa and Carla are both working hard and doing what they’re supposed to, she hasn’t found a reason to point it out. Still, she hasn’t missed the glances, the smirks, the hushed whispers between them. Client after client comes through the door and still, her two girls are still just as suspicious.

 

Noon comes and goes, and Daniela has never felt more out of it in her life. When did Vanessa and Carla start being secretive and plotting?

 

“ _What is up_ with you two?” She finally asks when Carla and Vanessa are laughing behind their hands one time too many.

 

Carla fakes ignorance, her hand on her heart, but Daniela knows her and knows she can’t lie to save her life. Isn’t lying a sin anyways?

 

“Nothing at all, Dani,” she says with her wide innocent eyes betraying her, “Nothing special _today_ at all.”

 

“Uh _huh_ …”

 

Maybe this is just how young people act nowadays, Daniela tells herself, unconvinced. When it’s time to close the salon for the night, things get a new level of weird.

 

“Actually,” Vanessa says, her eyes locked on the screen of her phone before looking up at Daniela, “Can we stay here for a little bit longer?”

 

They both sit down in the salon chairs, hands on their knees, looking like two schoolgirls even though they’ve long passed that age.

 

“Alright…”

 

She’s barely sat down herself that Vanessa’s phone buzzes and she shoots up like she’s been bitten and darts out of the salon. Less than a minute later, she’s back, Usnavi’s arm locked in hers while he holds up a plate containing…

 

“ _¡FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS!_ ”

 

A small birthday cake with red icing and a candle shaped like the number 40. _Oh, right._ She finds herself speechless as Carla and Vanessa hug her. She really is getting old, forgetting her own birthday.

 

“Usnavi made the cake!” Vanessa says proudly.

 

“So I see.”

 

“So, how does it feel being fort…”

 

“The f-word isn’t allowed in this salon.” Daniela cuts him.

 

Usnavi shuts his mouth and simply sets the cake down, cutting out slices. Vanessa rolls her eyes and shoves a plastic cup in Daniela’s hands.

 

“I brought champagne,” she says with finality and starts pouring the cups.

 

The meaning is clear: Daniela is not allowed to complain and not celebrate her birthday. So she doesn’t complain and she lets her girls (and Usnavi) treat her to an impromptu birthday party just between them. Carla gives her some inspiration book on finding joy in the Lord (which she won’t read but she appreciates the thought), Vanessa some jewelry so, as she puts it, she can still “pretend to be one of the youngsters with us”, Usnavi promises her free coffee for a year if she comes back to the bodega in the Heights. The cake, like everything he does, is delicious and almost compensates for the fact that she is soon to be a crumbling old crone. So be it, she accepts gloomily. At least she’ll be a crumbling old crone surrounded by her two favorite girls.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


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